Purdy completed 13 of his 16 passes after halftime, and even with a few red-zone sacks that were on him, he saved his best for last. He finished the game with 267 yards passing (126 of them in the third quarter) and 48 more rushing, with his 315 combined yards passing and rushing the most ever by a 49ers QB in a conference title game victory, per NFL Research.
Not bad company for a former Mr. Irrelevant playing for a franchise that can claim the likes of Joe Montana and Steve Young.
“He competed his ass off today,” Shanahan said. “It wasn’t easy for any of us. He kept grinding and was unbelievable there in the second half.”
The Lions would score with under a minute remaining, but when the 49ers recovered the onside kick, they were only a few clock-burning handoffs away from victory. A victory that looked pretty unlikely at halftime.
It completed the first stage of a long journey for Purdy, too, having seen his storybook rookie season come crashing down suddenly when he suffered an elbow injury in last year’s NFC Championship Game loss to the Eagles. That was followed by months of rehab and questions about when he might be able to be ready to throw again.
Purdy came back, reclaimed his starting role and led the 49ers to the top seed in the NFC. Even with a three-game losing streak where Purdy didn’t play his best ball, he made strides as a quarterback and added a few layers of thick skin in the process.
“Man, just thankful,” Purdy told Ruiz when asked about his journey to this point. “God has continued to bless me and use me and I just give him all the glory. And for us to come out one day at a time, one game at a time, find ways to win, (having) such a great squad and organization around me … and (it has) just been a blessing, it’s been a ride. So I’m very thankful.”
For a player who was considered an MVP candidate for a stretch this season, doubters remained nonetheless. Maybe it’s because of his draft pedigree, or his unassuming appearance. Perhaps the three-game losing streak stuck in the back of people’s heads. Purdy doesn’t have the league’s strongest arm, and his running ability — Sunday’s effort notwithstanding — won’t put him among the Lamar Jacksons of the league.
But in two playoff games, with the chips down in each of them, Purdy was lethal when it most mattered. The first comeback was tough. The second was epic. All that’s left is a Super Bowl matchup in Las Vegas against magic man Patrick Mahomes and the reigning champion Chiefs.
Anyone still doubting the 49ers’ chances?